Two British heavyweights will go toe-to-toe in a blockbuster showdown this weekend when Fabio Wardley squares up against Daniel Dubois. The boxers will face off on Saturday (May 9) as the headline act of the ‘Don’t Blink’ event at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, with fans able to order the fight here.
The bout will see Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) mount the first defence of his WBO crown since the title was elevated from interim status following his dramatic October stoppage of Joseph Parker. However, he must do so against a former IBF World Champion and one of the select few who can claim to have knocked out Anthony Joshua.
Londoner Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) stunned ‘AJ’ and a packed Wembley Stadium in 2024 and could cement his status as a two-time heavyweight world champion with a victory in Saturday’s fight. Wardley, 31, and Dubois, 28, are widely regarded as two of the sport’s most ‘destructive punchers’, with both proven finishers boasting an impressive 95% knockout record.
Wardley’s remarkable professional journey has earned him a legion of admirers not just across the UK but around the globe, having transformed from a recruitment officer and white-collar boxer into a world champion. He shot to prominence with a British title triumph over David Adeleye in 2023 before producing a draw and a stunning first-round knockout against Olympian Frazer Clarke.
His remarkable ascent continued when he secured the WBA Interim World title with a 10th-round stoppage of Justis Huni, before his 11th-round stoppage of Parker ultimately earned him WBO world championship honours when Oleksandr Usyk declined to defend the belt. Dubois claimed the WBA ‘regular’ world title by knockout of Trevor Bryan in 2022 and defended it against Kevin Lerena before challenging Usyk the following year, reports the Express.
